Old Law. Forms: (4 traillebastoun), 4–7 traile-baston, 4–5, 7– trailbaston (pl. 4 -bastons); also 4 traile-, traylebastoun, (4–5 troille-, troyl(e-, 6 troylebastone, 8 trailbaton); also 4 trayne-bastoun. (ME a. AF. traille-baston, f. traille imper. of trailler, TRAIL v.1 + OF. baston stick, cudgel, club, lit. ‘one who trails or carries a club or cudgel’ (cf. to trail a pike).
Cf. for the formation, F. coupe-bourse, coupe-gorge, porte-clefs, tue-chien, and Eng. cut-purse, cut-throat, pick-pocket, turnkey, kill-cow, etc.]
One of a class of violent evil-doers in the reign of Edward I., who, as brigands or hired ruffians, bludgeoned, maltreated, and robbed the king’s lieges, during his absence or absorption in foreign wars; also applied to their system of violence, for the suppression of which special justices were instituted in 1304–5; thence contextually applied also to the ordinances issued against them (ordinatio de trailbastons), and to the inquisitions, trials, courts, and justices (justices sur les traylbastouns, justices for or of trailbaston), appointed for their suppression. In living use from 1304 to c. 1390; afterwards only a historical term, often misunderstood.
Evidence of the original application of traille-baston to the offenders is chiefly supplied by Anglo-Fr. and Latin writings, difficult to epitomize here. They may be seen in full in E. Foss, Judges of Eng., vol. III. 28–36 (1851), and F. M. Nichols, Orig. Docmts. illustr. Criminal Law, time of Edw. I., in Archæologia, XL. (1866), 89. The transference of the name of an offence to the legal process dealing with it, and even to its penalty, is a well-known phenomenon in the history of legal terms. In the 17th c. and later, many guesses were made at the origin of the name; thus the Justices of Trailbaston were fabled to be so called from their ‘carrying the staff of justice,’ and by Coke, ‘because they proceeded as speedily as one might draw a staff.’
1304–5. Ordinance, in Camb. MS. Dd. vii. 6. lf. 61 (13[?]). Incipiunt Articuli Lincolnie qui dicuntur Traylebastoun. [in Brit. Mus. MS. Hargrave 336, Les Articles de Traynebastoun.] … Art. iij. De verberatoribus. De ceux qui sunt baturs e funt les grands bateries el pays, e qui sunt prestz e apparaylleez de estre loweez de tiele chose fayre solum ceo q’ hom les vodra loweer ou purparleer, la baterie greyndre ou meyndre.
1305. (April) Commission (in Foss, III. 31 (docketed)). De transgressionibus nominatis Trailbaston audiendis et terminandis.
1305. Rolls of Parlt., I. 178 (Marginal note). Ordinatio de trailbastons. Ibid., 201/1. Ad petitionem illorum qui steterunt in servicio Regis coram Justiciis de Trailebaston petentium remedium super eo, quod ubi plures homines fuerunt indictati de conspiraciis et aliis transgressionibus [etc.]. Ibid. (1306), 218/2. Les Justices qui sont ordenez pur entendre a les busoignes de Traillebaston.
c. 1306. Langtoft, Chron., in Pol. Songs (Camden), 319. Traylbastouns sunt nomez de cel retenaunce, En fayres et marchez se preferent fere covenaunce, Pur treys souz ou iiij, ou pur la valiaunce, Batre un prodomme ke unk fist nosaunce A cors Cristiene, par nuli temoygnaunce.
c. 1306–7. Outlaw’s Song, ibid. 233. Je lur aprendroy le giw de Traylebastoun, E lur bruseroy l’eschyne e le cropoun, Les bras e les jaunbes, ce serreit resoun, La lange lur tondroy e la bouche ensoun.
c. 1315. Langtoft, Chron., in Pol. Songs (Camden), 320. Parmy Engletere gentz de graunz resouns Assignez sunt justizes sur les traylbastouns; Les uns par enquest sunt jugez à prisouns: Li altre alez à fourches à pendre envirouns.
a. 1328. Trivet, Chron. (1845), 404. Hii justitiarii ab hominibus popularibus vocati sunt de Traylebastoun, quod sonat Trahe baculum.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 328. Þe kyng herd alle þe fame, þe pleynt of ilka toun, & gaf þam a newe name, & cald þam Traile bastoun…. The kyng þorgh þe lond did seke men o resons, & with þe justise þam bond, to site on Trailebastons.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VIII. 295. Þat ȝere kyng Edward made hard inquisicioun aȝenst evel doers,… þat manere inquisicioun hiȝte trailbastoun.
c. 1400. Brut, clxxiii. 195. [He] lete enquere … of alle þe mistakyngus and wrongus done þrouȝ misdoers in Engeland, of alle þe tyme þat he hade bene out of his realme, þat me callede ‘Troylebaston’; and ordeynede þerto Iustices.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 402.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. x. § 46. Hee ordained Iustitiars for Trailbaston, who were to enquire of Man-slaughters, Ruffians, Disseisors, Boot-halers, Incendiaries, and other perturbers of the common quiet, and them to punish, by fine, death, and otherwise.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Prerog. Parl. (1628), 18. The same yeere the King vsed the Inquisition, called Traile Baston.
1754. Hume, Hist. Eng. (1761), I. xvi. 405. The renewal of the commission of trailbaton.
1851. Foss, Judges of Engl., III. 36. Commissions of trailbaston continued to be issued at intervals till the middle of the reign of Richard II., when they finally ceased.
1853. Parker, Turner’s Dom. Archit., II. i. 23. Strongholds for numerous bands of thieves, or ‘trailbastons,’ as they were called.
1893. F. W. Maitland, Memoranda de Parl. (Rolls), Introd. 53, note. This [Ordinatio de trailbastons in 1305] seems to be the first appearance in an official document of the curious word ‘trailbaston.’ There can be little doubt that it signified a ‘club-man,’ a vagabond with a big stick.
